Arab League Council holds extraordinary session on embassy move

Monday's protests coincided with the transfer of the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which has deeply angered the Palestinians who see the Israeli-annexed eastern sector of the city as the capital of their future state. "He had assured Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas that India was committed to the Palestinian people's interests and hoped for return of peace in this region".

On Monday, tens of thousands of Palestinians rallied near Israel's border fence to protest a blockade of their territory and the move of the US Embassy to contested Jerusalem that day.

Palestinian authorities on Wednesday urged United Nations to condemn the killings of the protesters at the Gaza border was war crimes.

"No one would. No country in this chamber would act with more restraint than Israel has", she added.

In response to the uproar over his remarks, Bardawil later said in a statement that Israel was "legitimizing the killing of Palestinians just because they are Palestinians or just because they are Hamas, even if they were unarmed and defending their dignity and rights".

He called on Israel to use force proportionally and avoid using deadly force except as a last resort, a message echoed by the council's European members.

Israeli Intelligence Minister Israel Katz said that an Egyptian intelligence chief, whom he did not name, "made unequivocally clear" to Haniyeh that Egypt would not help if Hamas continued to stoke the protests, and Israel responded with harsher measures.

The meeting came as the office of the prosecutor of the world's permanent war crimes court on Wednesday expressed "grave concern" about escalating violence in Gaza, and said alleged crimes could be investigated. "The death toll alone warrants such a comprehensive inquiry", British Ambassador Karen Pierce said.

"Countries, including South Africa, have been far too patient while people are killed and worldwide law is ignored".

The opening of the American embassy in Jerusalem is a poignant event for Hamas, which has hoped for years to reclaim East Jerusalem and make it the capital of the Palestinian state. Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a state they want to establish in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

But while Australia has proven itself a staunch friend of the Jewish State, Turnbull told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday, "We have taken the view - as indeed, most countries have - that it's more conducive to the peace process to keep the Embassy in Tel Aviv".

Prior to 1980, Guatemala and a dozen other countries maintained embassies in Jerusalem.

Egypt's role has also been called into question, following a visit to Cairo by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Sunday.

The U.S. blocked it.

Ireland's Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the Israeli ambassador will not be expelled from Ireland in response to the conflict in Gaza. He didn't immediately give details of his proposal.

Turkey has withdrawn its ambassador in Tel Aviv for consultations and told Israel's ambassador to Ankara to leave, also for an unspecified period of time.

A protest was staged at the Arts Lobby of the University of Karachi (KU) against the Israeli aggression towards Palestinians.